Hoteliers’ Voice

We talk a lot about digital channels, distribution and pricing strategy, but what happens when the guest actually walks through the door? In this episode of Hoteliers’ Voice, I sit down with Gail Peters from the Q Hotels Collection and Geoffrey Toffetti from Frontline Performance Group to explore what they call “last mile revenue”.
With 19 four-star hotels across Great Britain, Q Hotels had the scale, the rooms and the opportunity. What they needed was consistency, visibility and a structured way to empower front office teams to enhance the guest experience while driving incremental revenue. The result has been a people-first programme that blends technology, training and recognition in a way that is delivering measurable impact.
What You’ll Discover
- What Last Mile Revenue Really Means: Why check-in is your final opportunity to influence room revenue and enhance the guest journey.
- From Inconsistent Upselling to Structured Success: How integrating with the PMS, training “champions” and setting clear targets created alignment across 14 hotels.
- The Commercial Impact of Empowered Teams: How Q Hotels achieved just under 40% uplift in incremental revenue and set sights on a 1 to 2 percent RevPAR impact.
What stands out most is the virtuous cycle. When expectations are clear, performance is visible and success is shared, guests enjoy better experiences, staff see the benefit in their pay packets and hotels unlock revenue that would otherwise be left on the table.
If you are an independent hotelier wondering how to drive incremental spend without relying solely on digital tactics, this conversation offers a practical blueprint grounded in real results. Technology matters, but as this episode makes clear, people remain the last mile.
Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

At the HOSPA regional event in Manchester, hosted by Focus on Hospitality, we brought together three operators who are right at the sharp end of regulation, compliance and commercial pressure. With Rob McGlynn from Supercity Aparthotels, Kelly Cronin from Village Hotels and Matthew Bell from Mollie’s, we explore what it really takes to stay profitable, compliant and future-ready in a fast-shifting landscape.
From Airbnb regulation and business rates to data privacy, AI and guest expectations, this is an honest, practical conversation about protecting your business without losing sight of what hospitality is actually about.
What We Explore
- The Uneven Playing Field: Why short-term lets, ghost kitchens and inconsistent regulation are creating a compliance tax for responsible operators.
- Data, Direct and the Battle for Loyalty: How anonymised bookings, OTAs and fragmented systems are reshaping customer ownership.
- Experience Over Everything: Why the real differentiator is still how you make people feel, even as AI and automation reshape operations.
We hear how Supercity’s lean apart-hotel model is feeling the strain of rising business rates and wage increases, while campaigning for fairer regulation. Village Hotels shares the complexity of building a unified customer view across hotels, leisure clubs, co-working and retail, all while navigating data compliance and evolving guest expectations. Mollie’s brings the perspective of a challenger brand balancing value-led design, B Corp ambitions and the realities of scaling responsibly.
There is frustration here, especially around short-term political thinking and the lack of long-term vision for hospitality. But there is also optimism. Whether it is using bots to remove admin so teams can focus on guests, rethinking loyalty, or doubling down on community and wellbeing, the message is clear. Compliance matters, but connection wins.
Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

There’s something special about bringing hoteliers together in the room. For this third Roundtable Roadshow, we headed to The Headland Hotel in Cornwall. What followed was a series of honest, practical conversations about what it really takes to keep an independent hotel thriving.
From ownership and reinvestment to digital performance, IT infrastructure and the next generation of talent, this episode pulls together key moments from across the morning. You’ll hear from the team behind The Headland, their technology partners, and a young hospitality professional who started here at 14 and never left.
Those who feature include Veryan Palmer family director and Simon IT Manager and Charlie and young hospitlaity recruit at The Headland Hotel, James Cavanagh-Shaddock from Cornwall Hospitality Collective, Sharon Cowley of Net Affinity, Katrina Blunden from 80 Days, Sam McCabe and Eli Rous from Focus on Hospitality, and Paul Wells from Studio Moren.
What You’ll Discover
- Legacy Meets Leadership: Why reinvesting profits, protecting core standards and staying curious has delivered The Headland’s strongest revenue year yet.
- Data, AI and Infrastructure in Practice: From 6,000 monthly AI searches to cybersecurity, connectivity and proactive IT partnerships that keep operations resilient.
- Building the Future Workforce: How the Cornwall Hospitality Collective is rallying 45 members, engaging schools and turning students into hospitality professionals.
You’ll also hear from Net Affinity, 80 Days, and Focus on Hospitality, all working closely with The Headland to align brand, performance and physical experience. The message is clear. Success is not one initiative. It is collaboration, clarity and constant evolution.
Our sponsors also include Biteluxe, Studio Moren and Hospitality Action.
If you are an independent hotelier wondering how to balance heritage with innovation, or how to future-proof your operation without losing your identity, this conversation is for you.
Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

Coming live from the UK Hotelier Roundtable Roadshow - this conversation comes from Whittlebury Park, with our hotel host Bradley Spillman, Senior Digital and Marketing Manager, alongside and a panel of experts. We look into how a family-run estate is using data, design and technology without losing that human, hospitality feel.
Featuring David Ohanjanian from Up Hotel Agency, Sharon Cowler of Netaffinity, Prem Jethwa-Odedra from Biteluxe, Alessandra Leoni from Focus on Hospitality, Scot Turner from Auden Hospitality
What We Explore
- Personalisation & Story: How Whittlebury Park is using small, specific touches and guest data to move beyond generic messaging and create stays that feel remembered, not just recorded.
- Websites & Conversion: Why a clear brief, flexible design and a shorter booking journey turned Whittlebury’s website into both a brand window and a serious revenue driver.
- Tech & Human Balance: How booking engines, WhatsApp, on-site data capture and smarter F&B and spatial design can support direct bookings and guest satisfaction without losing the heart of hospitality.
What stayed with me from this roundtable is how hoteliers challenges are shared, whether running a vast estate or opening a single independent hotel. The tools are there, but the real work is choosing the right ones, aligning owners and teams, and keeping the guest’s reality at the centre. Sometimes - tech is not the answer.
Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.

I always enjoy getting out to properties like Whittlebury Park, discovering what they have to offer across an expansive multi amenity resort and how they package it up. This conversation with Bradley Spillman, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, gave me a real behind-the-scenes look at how they juggle three very different businesses under one roof.
In a tour of their impressive golf, spa, and conference facilities, we talk about their approach to digital marketing, the smart investments they're making in tech and data, and how they're getting to know their audiences better while chasing new ones like the family segment.
What We Explore
- Three Businesses, One Property: Creates seamless experiences for completely different crowds across golf, spa, and conferences
- Digital Marketing Smarts: The tools and strategies the team uses to boost visibility, understand guest needs, and target fresh markets without losing the core appeal.
- Guest-First Innovation: Why investing in data and tech is all about delivering what people really want and how that's opening doors to new demographics.
Bradley’s insights reminded me why places like Whittlebury thrive: it's not just about the amenities, it's about knowing your guests and evolving with them. If you're in hospitality and wondering how to blend tradition with tech, this conversation will give you plenty to think about and maybe even steal a few ideas.
Thanks for listening to Hoteliers Voice. If it sparked something, share with a colleague or drop me a note. More episodes coming soon where we learn from the best in the industry.
Hoteliers' Voice is one of FeedSpot's top Hospitality Podcasts and is produced by Urban Podcasts.